HELP! Feel totally useless!

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harrihjc

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Flash has always been rather lazy, but today was really ridiculous and I feel so useless! My friend rode him too so it's not just me. He's 5yrs old, 15hh and ridden 5 times a week for about 30-45 minutes a time. We try to vary it as much as possible, doing lots opf transitions and changes of direction, pole work, jumping etc and hack as much as we can, but nothing makes a difference. He just doesn't move off your leg, even with spurs, he doesn't even acknowledge you most of the time, just sort of plods along at his own pace! He's not overweight, and gets slow release mix, alfa A, sugar beet and competition mix. He's had his back, teeth and tack checked, and seen vet and physio and there's nothing wrong with him physically. I'm not 100% confident about saddle, although its been checked by different people and all say its fine. Please help, any suggestions on how I can wake him up and get him to move off my leg! I feel so useless!
 
First leg aid - he ignores
Second stronger leg aid - he still ignores
Third leg aid + decent smack with whip (with leather end) - he should shoot forwards, so give with the reins and let him do whatever pace he likes. Pat and reward for forwards movement....keeping legs quiet.

Repeat as necessary. Take him gallopies outdoors...on beach, in fields.
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theroetically he should shoot forwards, the reality is he quickens his pace very slightly for about 2 strides then back to normal! Tried the galloping thing, he did a slow canter, even when other horses shot off ahead he wasn't even slightly fussed about keeping up! I know he can do it, he's a raving loon in the field, just wants to stand there when ridden
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Did you have Tor Henderson to look at his back - just out of interest. She came to do Mick this week.
I would lunge him and really get after him from the ground if I were you...........
Shilasdair's advice I would agree with too.
 
It sound like he is working reasonably hard. It might just be that as a young horse he is just struggling a little. Mine was really lazy as a 4-5 yo, he just didn't really have the muscle to carry me, and do everything else. I turned him away for a month or so as a 5yo and he came back much stronger and more willing. He is much more forward now, although will take the opportunity to be lazy if allowed.
 
If he only speeds up slightly for a stride or two, really get after him!! Give him 2 or 3 smacks to get him going. Think of a stop-go reaction. Halt him one end of the school, and get to the other end as quick as possible!! If you ask him to go and he doesnt, really chase him on the long side of the school, really kick on and ride him on like your life depended on it, then let him off. Sounds like he is bored tbh. How often does he go in school? Getting a bit annoyed and making him go will actually help him and you even if you do feel cruel smacking him! Sounds like he is taking the mick. Though saying that, I can only school Goddy twice/3times a week tops, as he gets stale. How big is your school?
 
Recently I have been riding green horses in my riding lessons and my instructor recommends doing a half-seat type thing (lifting your weight out of the saddle a bit) which allows them to use their back more easily. You can then also use your seat to send the horse forward before returning to half-seat again. Also don't do any lateral work yet until forward motion is established. Remember to reward immediately (voice, rub, food or comfort) when he gets it right.
 
Mickey, yes Tor looked at his back about a month ago. Have tried the lunging thing, he really isn;t fussed by the lunge whip, no matter how much you get after him he just looks at you, and sometimes even starts chewing the end of the whip
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Twilight, he's actually just had over 2 months off and has come back into work lazier than ever!

Kat, our school is 20x40m. He goes in teh school most days because it's always pitch black when I'm there because of work, so we can't hack in winter. I do think he might be bored, but then even doing something totally different he's exactly the same, like at shows and hacking!
 
Sounds exactly like Donkey who is on race horsemix!!!

Donkey has gone up a gear hacking but in the school I have to really use the one tap, two tap, three tap WHACK method -I also school in impulse spurs.

As I can only hack at the moment at the weekend I tend to lunge one night with a Pessoa and school the next night. Some horses like ours just have the most laid back attitudes to life!

Have you tried Red Cell?? (did nothing for Donkey
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haha yes certainly rather laid back! In some ways I love it, when he was having a saddle fitted they couldn't believe he was a baby because it was driving rain, so windy with loads of shadows and he just plodded round as normal! The only thing Flash gets excited about is his dinner, and then he's absolutely wild!

I haven't tried red cell...I may give that a go. He's on exactly the same feed as the 16.2hh showjumpers at the yard, but YO says she's going to have a play about and see what we can do about him
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Her daughter's horse is similar, we always laugh at them because they've got so much ability but just not quite with it, we call them the Forest Gumps of the yard
 
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